Melancholy Paradise
by Thatsoneperson
Summary: It was too sad to have been a dream, yet it came nowhere near as a nightmare. Instead, it was something in between—bittersweet and unforgettable like him. He may not have been the one she knew, but during those days… he was the one he used to be. The one with a shy smile and gentle soul.


Sorry for any mistakes I may have missed.

* * *

 **Chapter I**

* * *

 _"Accept me, Haise… I want to see her…"_

 _"No. You're lying."_

 ** _. . . ._**

Heart fluttering, cheeks warming, eyes vaguely focusing as he hides behind a book that's part of the cafe's collection. He can't recall how many times he reread the same lines over and over again. Even though each time he peeked from behind the black and white pages, he tells himself to take note as to where he last left off, then continue reading from there when he looks back down. But of course, all reminders to himself have been futile.

Every single one becoming nothing but white noise to himself when he glances up to see _her_. Possibly the most—No. By far, the prettiest woman he's ever seen in his recent memory. His past might be a huge blur, but he seriously doubts any woman that he previously have known could even come close to her.

The waitress at the _:Re Café_. The woman who holds his attention without fail. Miss Kirishima- the name she had given him when he asked for it a couple weeks back.

He tries not to come too often, but when he does, he enjoys being around her company. Truly bathes in the lighthearted atmosphere of the café where customers all around come for a nice drink of coffee. Definitely the best he'd ever tasted. And when he does visit on his less busy days, he finds himself gazing at her- trying to figure out what kind of story is behind such beautiful eyes. Though more specifically, the sad smile that tends to cross her lips when they see each other.

It doesn't always appear through his entire stay… but it's always there when he comes and goes.

 _Does he maybe… remind her of someone? A family member? Close friend? Or perhaps, someone she loved but lost within the chaos of this filthy world where ghouls and humans can't live in harmony without the loss of innocent lives?_

Keeping his eyes intently glued on her a few seconds longer, Haise felt sudden heat rush to his already warmed cheeks and butterflies swarm to his stomach when she looked in his direction- catching him gawking at her- and gave him a gentle smile to which he kindly sent back before embarrassingly hiding behind his borrowed book again.

 _'Great, Haise. Now she knows you're a creep.'_ The young investigator told himself before continuing his reading. Rereading, of course, the same part that he's been stuck on for the past twenty minutes. Skimming through the page, he flipped over to the next for a refresher then blindly reached for his cup of coffee on the table in front of him that he occasionally sipped on.

Lifting the cup to his lips, he frowned when he found it empty- a little puddle pooling at the bottom- and he mentally hit himself for not realizing it sooner.

 _Has he truly been that enthralled with her?_

Glancing up once more to find her but saw her nowhere in sight, he debated for a short moment if he should ask for another warm cup or take this opportunity as his cue to leave with whatever dignity he has left after getting caught looking at her.

Although, he never come up with an answer. Because that's when a familiar shadow cast over him and he felt trapped within himself.

 _Looks like he might be staying a bit longer... not that he minds it._

"Would you like another cup?" Haise looked up at the woman with electric, soft blue hair and smiled. They stared at each other in a short silence before she broke it with the gentle sounds of her giggles. "You know, I swear every time you come back- you drink more and more. Is work keeping you up that much?"

Bookmarking his page, Haise smiled and cautiously rested the book in his lap- staring at it for a moment before looking up to meet her gaze. "Yeah, something like that. But I say it's simply because I truly enjoy the coffee. It's delicious."

"Haha. I know, you tell me all the time."

"Oh-Uh…Err… Umm…" he stammered feeling embarrassed then nervously scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I-I didn't realize I did that. You must think I'm pretty lame for always complimenting your drink."

Touka smiled at him then picked up his empty cup. "I wouldn't think that of you. I just take it that must really like it as much as you claimed. And judging by how much you drink sometimes, I'd say it's enough proof to say that you do."

"Y-Yeah…" was all Haise could mutter out and Touka just smiled at him like she usually did. Wondering all sorts of unanswered questions about him.

"So, do you still want another—"

Cut off by the ring of his phone, he apologized quickly before taking the call and she waited patiently for him to finish while he spoke in a whisper. When he hung up the phone a few moments later, he studied the page number from the book he was reading then raised from his seat to put it back on the shelf where he originally received it from.

"Please forgive me, Miss Kirishima. I'm afraid I have to go."

"O-Oh. So soon?" she muttered before she caught herself. Her cheeks warmed as he smiled at her while putting on his large, white coat and gathered his things. Leaving his money on the table, he stepped away from his seating and gave her a slight bow.

"It was a pleasure having you as company. I hope to stop by again soon and enjoy another cup of your delicious coffee."

Blushing, Touka bashfully looked away from him and saw Yomo staring at her. Although his face was impassive, she could see right past him and tell that he was secretly teasing her. Making fun of her for acting so 'girly' or flustered around the amnesic Kaneki.

Rolling her eyes, she turned back to him and smiled.

"Thanks for stopping by. I-I hope to see you soon."

"Thank you again. Have a nice day, Miss Kirishima." Haise said then waved her goodbye as he walked out of the cute café.

Bringing out the best smile she could form, she bid him farewell and waved him goodbye until he was no longer in sight. When the vision of him disappeared, her world once again drowned in gloom and she felt her heart sink. Every time he comes, her heart breaks. Whenever he smiles at her, a piece of her soul goes missing before its quickly found when she sees a bit of the old Kaneki inside him. Then every time he says goodbye to do what he does with the Doves, her world gets smaller and a bit lonelier without him.

If she could, she wished he could stay. She wished she could jog his memory, but not even being around him is stirring up anything. At least, she doesn't think it is.

Glancing down to his empty cup, a soft smile lifted her lips and her heart began to painfully ache inside her chest.

"Kaneki… you idiot. Why did you have to leave me?"

* * *

 **A/N:** So, how was it? I know its short, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Feel free to let me know what you think, comment, ask questions, review, etc. Until next time! XD

 **Thatsoneperson**


End file.
